Online Bachelor's in Business

Program Overview

SDSU’s Bachelor of Science in Business Administration online degree completion program
is designed so that students who satisfy all eligibility requirements for the program
can graduate as a General Business Major in as few as 49 units (18 courses), or as
many as 55 units (20 courses) depending on writing proficiency.

Yes, because SDSU’s College of Business Administration is fully accredited by AACSB
International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, all of
its programs - both online and on-campus - are accredited.

The General Business major provides an overview and fundamental working knowledge
of the varied aspects of business. Students receive a broad and generalized understanding
of the functions of a business and how the various sub-disciplines within business
interact to contribute to the success of an organization. Positions available to graduates
with a General Business major are those that require a broad, overarching understanding
of the business function, rather than a specialized knowledge within a particular
business sub-discipline, (e.g., managing a family business).

Upon completion of the program a student will be awarded the same degree on-campus
students receive – the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. The diploma
received and transcript will not distinguish that the program was completed online.

All courses in the online program are team taught. Faculty who have demonstrated an
ability to excel in their regular on-campus teaching assignments prepare all course
material using the most current technology and tools. Facilitators who routinely teach
the course on-campus or are subject area experts monitor the course’s day-to-day delivery.
Together, their goal is to bring to a student the same rigor and content as on-campus
courses.

The program is structured to be flexible and convenient. It consists of courses from
accounting, finance, information systems, management and marketing, the core business
components. Courses are offered yearly in two of the three, 16-week terms (fall, spring
and summer). These courses run in eight-week blocks, so a full-time student can take
four courses each term, but focus at any given time on just two in a block. The program
also accommodates students who want to take courses on a part-time basis. Although
courses are expected to be completed by the end of the 8-week block in which they
are offered, the program is entirely self-paced to afford a student the option of
slowing down by taking a lighter course load or speeding up by taking a heavier class
load.

Yes, although the number of upper division units a student will receive credit for
depends on their equivalency and recentness. To qualify for the degree a student must
complete each of the following requirements at SDSU: 1. A minimum of 30 units; 2.
At least 20 of the units required for the major; and 3. Nine units in General Education
courses.

To succeed in an online learning environment, start by taking this brief readiness survey (please enter 000000000 for Red ID). In addition, a student needs a reliable email
address that won’t change from the beginning until the end of term, and a backup plan
(i.e., alternative location to do assignments and assessments) in case the computer
or internet connection isn’t working.

Yes, the fully online General Business degree program is not supported by California
state tax revenue. The program is the result of a partnership between SDSU’s College
of Business Administration (CBA) and College of Extended Studies (CES), wherein CBA
is responsible for the curriculum, faculty, admissions, and student advising, and
CES fulfills administrative functions such registration and the collection of fees.

The estimated cost of the program for California residents and nonresidents is $510
per unit. This makes the total cost of the program range from $24,990 if only 49 units
are required to be completed, to $28,050 if 55 units are required to be completed.
Not included are costs of required texts and learning materials as well as incidental
fees related to a student’s application for admission, WPA testing and graduation.

Prospective Students

Information about applying for admission to the program can be found at Cal State Apply. When asked for major, indicate on the application “Business Admin (General) (BS)
(External Degree) (ONLINE PROGRAM).”

Applications for fall admissions to the online program will be accepted beginning
October 1, for the next fall term; applications for spring admission to the online
program will be accepted beginning August 1st for the next spring term.

To be fully qualified for admission to the program, a student must have at least 60
transferable semester units by the spring term prior to fall transfer that include
27 lower division preparation course units for the General Business major (see Business
Major Requirements page for more detailed information), and at least 30 units of General
Education. Additionally, a student’s cumulative GPA should be 2.9 or higher.

All undergraduate students must demonstrate competency in upper division writing skills
before graduating from SDSU with a bachelor’s degree. The Writing Placement Assessment
(WPA) is a timed test used by SDSU to determine if a student’s writing skills fulfill
the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR). Based on the test results, some
students will require an additional writing course or courses in order to fulfill
this requirement.

As a student in the online program, you are required to take the WPA test between
the time you are admitted and the end of your first semester. You are permitted to
take the WPA twice in that semester and pay the testing fee each time you take the
exam. If you do not take the exam in that semester, you won’t be allowed to register
for future terms at SDSU.

Yes, use the materials available on wpa.sdsu.edu, write a practice essay, and make
an online appointment with a Writing Center tutor to discuss your essay.

Start with registering with SDSU’s Writing Center by going to https://sdsu.mywconline.com
and click on “register.” After you have submitted the form, you will have access to
the online appointment center. Look for tutors who offer online tutoring. When you
register for an appointment with an online tutor, be sure to click “online tutoring”
in the drop down menu on the form.

A student in the program can remedy the unit deficiency (think of these as unit electives)
in a variety of ways. Among these ways include taking extra writing classes offered
by the program, enrolling in summer classes offered at other CSUs through Cal State
Online, and at a local Community Colleges if less than 70 units have been transferred.

Learning Online

An online course is no less time consuming than a face-to-face, on-campus course.
A typical face-to-face, 3-unit 16-week course involves two-and-a-half hours of classroom
meeting time plus and an additional three to six hours of reading, study and review
per week. Since every online course in this program is completed in eight weeks, plan
on dedicating for a 3-unit course from eleven to seventeen hours spread out over each
week on learning activities. Moreover, if a student encounters problems with technology
or has weak reading or writing skills, plan on spending even more time.

SDSU adheres to a strict policy regarding cheating and plagiarism. Any cheating or
plagiarism in a class results in failing of that class and the possibility of further
disciplinary review. Students in the online program must agree that all required written
submissions will be subject to review by Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism.
To uphold the integrity of exams and tests and level the playing field for students
who fear that their classmates may be unfairly cheating to get higher grades, students
in the online program must also agree to allow the use of a remote proctoring service
when taking assessments.